Stephen Whittle’s blog on Genderquake - with a detailed briefing for panelists

[flowersonthepiano]

Stephen Whittle’s blog on Genderquake with a briefing for panelists including the following gems:

“male and female are biological categories which were defined when science was not properly aware of the complexities of the ‘natural’ body”

“‘Self-identification’ doesn’t mean anyone can get legal gender recognition, but it would mean trans people no longer have to be diagnosed as having a mental illness.”

How is that good for people with such high rates of suicide ideation who need care?

“Unfortunately, the Rules don’t allow trans prisoners to be placed in a prison of their preferred gender role until they have obtained legal gender recognition.”

“The UK has an excellent child and adolescent Gender Identity Clinic as part of a larger mental health trust – but it is only one for the entire nation of 66 million people.

Whilst the Clinic provides an excellent service,
· it cannot cope with the numbers seeking help, and
· there is no doubt that it has increasingly drawn flak from some feminist women who object to the idea of affording children any support in their preferred gender identity.
PFC REPEATEDLY states that

• children do not receive cross-gender hormones and
• no child has ever been given gender reassignment surgery,
but the Feminist attacks have been sufficiently vocal to make clinicians very nervous about the provision of the service.”

blatantly neglects to mention puberty blockers...


Note the frequent references to “Press for Change (PFC)” which is described as “the UK trans lobby group”. A week or so ago newspaper editors were hauled before a parliamentary committee and grilled for suggesting that there is even such thing as trans lobby group. Suggesting that stating there is a trans lobby was labelled bigoted/hate speech.

Stephen Whittle is a very influential person. The views above are being inculcated into our society. It’s clear they recognize the influence that feminist protests have had in stalling the proposed changes to the GRA and making clinicians think how they handle children who arrive in their consulting rooms.

You are doing a great job! It wouldn’t surprise me if Stephen Whittle had a hand in recent efforts to silence the MumsNet FWR boards, but then I am getting a bit tin-foil hatty these days....

[R0wantrees]

With regards NHS practice the 'Memorandum of Understanding' which was obtained in the autumn is important.

Janice Turner discussed it prior to being implemented (also with regards James Caspian):

And now trans activists are pushing for the American treatment strategy called “affirmation”, where doctors cannot challenge a patient who declares they are trans. Trans activists are lobbying hard to change an NHS policy document called the “memorandum of understanding”: they want to extend a ban on gay “conversion therapy” to include gender identity. In other words, a counsellor could no longer suggest that a patient’s belief they are in the “wrong body” is, for example, anxiety about being a lesbian or a reaction to sexual abuse. They would be silenced or risk malpractice suits."

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3041152-i-am-janice-turner-s-no-1-fan-another-excellent-article

I believe this was one of the principles on which Transgender Trend Resource Pack for Schools condemnation was based.

[LizzieSiddal]

They are spreading lies and getting away with it.

Why the heck is this happening in 2018?

[nauticant]

It's all about Internet based echochambers. Get enough people together and your views can become validated and enter the mainstream. With a big enough following, the authorities will be sufficiently afraid to challenge that they won't bother.

And thus anything can become true.

[JessicaEccles]

And now trans activists are pushing for the American treatment strategy called “affirmation”, where doctors cannot challenge a patient who declares they are trans

Does that work for any other health condition? I think I have schizophrenia - so hand the heavy tablets over. I think I have cancer- give me some pain killers.

[R0wantrees]

On a thread today a poster described (I think) Fairplay for Women's website as being 'notoriously transphobic' and spreading propaganda.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3246755-Transphobia-or-truths?pg=14

Some time ago, as part of my degree, we studied linguistic techniques used in propaganda so I was curious to reacquaint myself.

The following is from a very basic guide but, I think interesting:

Propaganda Techniques

[people.howstuffworks.com/propaganda1.htm]

"A commonly used technique is name-calling, which takes its cue from playground behavior. Often, this technique is utilized to divert attention when someone is trying to avoid answering a question or providing hard facts.

The bandwagon technique encourages the viewer or listener to join the crowd by aligning with the most popular, successful side of an issue

Glittering generalities are very common in political propaganda. Glittering generalities combine words that have positive connotations with a concept that is particularly beloved.

Card stacking is the presentation of only the details, statistics and other information that impacts public opinion positively. In other words, the bad stuff is left out entirely.

The plain folks technique is designed to get ordinary citizens to identify with a political candidate or other figure that they otherwise may have nothing in common with.

Propaganda based on fear is designed to scare people into choosing sides.

The transfer technique is more subliminal (operating on a subconscious rather than conscious level) than the other techniques we've discussed. Using this method, a group or person attempts to align themselves with a beloved symbol in an effort to transfer the status of the symbol to the cause they represent.

Many other propaganda methods exist, but they subsist on the same basic principles as the ones listed above: Manipulate the message to portray an issue or person in the most favorable light possible, and when necessary, make the opposing side look shabby in comparison.

Many people believe that propaganda does more harm than its proponents would admit to. Some go so far as to claim that propaganda is a bedfellow of censorship because they both serve as tools for repression, confusion and suppression of information"

Of course important to acknowledge that the use of these makes no comment on the worthiness of the cause. They have been employed to great effect by many admirable people.

[gendercritter]

there is no doubt that it has increasingly drawn flak from some feminist women who object to the idea of affording children any support in their preferred gender identity.

This is so disingenuous my teeth are itching. SW has come here and chatted to us and no doubt continues to lurk (wouldn't you?)

Where are the posts saying we don't want these children to be supported? A lot of our concern surrounds how these children are protected and treated. That definitely involves acknowledging a child doesn't have to stick to rigid gender boundaries stereotypes to find peace within themselves. Support doesn't equal giving someone exactly what they want, when it will do them serious harm. Particularly when they are a teenager who is likely to be autistic or have experienced sexual assault or to be homosexual.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

It seems like obvious common sense to me that a child or teenager should spend some time in counselling/therapy before doing anything irreversible to their body, especially as the hormone treatment and surgery could result in sterility and/or severely impaired sexual function. Why would anyone want that to happen to a young person?

The research evidence says that many who identify as trans also have at least one of the following: a history of emotional/sexual abuse, they're on the autistic spectrum or they have a diagnosed mental health condition, e.g. depression, anxiety, eating disorder. The anecodotal evidence from the US and Canada is that teenage girls are going to a gender clinic with a history just like I've mentioned and starting hormone treatment immediately. The gender clinic staff are ignoring all other aspects of their patient's history as possible reasons for the dysphoria. They're also ignoring the evidence that many children and teenagers with gender dysphoria will get over it, given time, and end up accepting their bodies/sex/sexual orientation without further treatment.

We mustn't let that happen here.

[R0wantrees]

There seems though to be scope for nuance in the discussion of the age that hormones are given based on this retweet by SW.

[flowersonthepiano]

OK, I take that back. Not only 'dangerous to women girls' dangerous to women and children

[R0wantrees]

The research evidence says that many who identify as trans also have at least one of the following: a history of emotional/sexual abuse, they're on the autistic spectrum or they have a diagnosed mental health condition, e.g. depression, anxiety, eating disorder

The comments that I have heard Dr Polly Carmichael make acknowledge this.

There is tension though, it seems, between her position and others as James Kirkup reported in the article linked previously:

"As it happens, Dr Carmichael in her lecture said some things that seem relevant here:

“Gender has become amazingly topical and we have to be really careful not to assume that anyone is exploring or questioning their gender is going to want to change their bodies in line with that. The extremes on either side are not helpful. We need to look at the grey areas in between. To do that we need to be able to talk and discuss these issues. All too often stakeholders become lobby groups.”

[Ereshkigal]

Oh yes, allowing 13 year olds to make themselves sterile without being able to grasp the full implications is definitely an EXCELLENT idea.

[Ereshkigal]

Sorry that was to that TRA tweet.

[Bowlofbabelfish]

there is no doubt that it has increasingly drawn flak from some feminist women who object to the idea of affording children any support in their preferred gender identity

Supporting a gender non conforming child should involve giving them support to dissect and understand the toxic climate of sexuality they find themselves in at puberty. The confidence to be non conforming. The knowledge that there is not just one way to be a girl or a boy. That they can wear and dress and have hair any way they want, not just the narrow and narrowing shitty stereotypes that prevail at the moment. The ability to deal with changes in their body (which can be extremely traumatic for all young people) and how people react to that new body. I’m not surprised young girls want to opt out when as soon as they start to develop they are thrust into this hyper sexualised world.

You do NOT support such a child by blindly channelling them down an irreversible path that will damage them psychologically, metabolically, sexually and physically, because that’s child abuse.

[R0wantrees]

It may also become likely that in focussing on the time/resource pressures of Tavistock, other clinics (with differing approaches ) become part of the NHS provision.

[R0wantrees]

I think Gillick competence may also become more significant.

[LangCleg]

The thread that Stephen started here and that saw extensive discussion was highly instructive, I felt.

I was expecting Stephen to be full of the word salad, ivory tower academic stuff - and he was. But when we managed to get him to respond to detailed practical consequences to his theorising, I found his responses both disturbing and chilling. He didn't feel there were any safeguarding issues in mixed sex overnight accommodation for teenagers, for example, and brushed off stats about sex assaults in schools. When pressed on the possibility of unplanned teen pregnancy from consensual sex, he suggested issuing Guide leaders with supplies of condoms.

I think Stephen had a big effect on many reading his posts here - but perhaps not quite the effect he intended.

[Opheliah]

R0wan your posts about propaganda is very interesting.

[Ereshkigal]

When pressed on the possibility of unplanned teen pregnancy from consensual sex, he suggested issuing Guide leaders with supplies of condoms.

There's no way on earth parents of under 16 guides are going to find that appropriate or satisfactory. What planet are these people on?

[Opheliah]

Lang
The whole reminiscing about sex in scouts what just... WTF.

[R0wantrees]

SW in twitter conversation about some aspects of feminism.

[ToeToToe]

Those are exactly the same arguments against feminism that men's rights activists have always used.

[nauticant]

SW comes across as intelligent, dishonest, and extremely agenda-driven. But also clever enough to hide it behind a sympathetic academic exterior.

[ToeToToe]

I read a lot of the thread he wrote on here - I found his language to be full of obfuscation. Lots of waffle, pseudo-babble, and half-truths. But I agree, he is intelligent and persistent - he knows exactly what he is doing here. He was instrumental in getting the GRA2004 passed.

[Italiangreyhound]

Isn't one's biological sex written into every cell on the body with DNA? Isn't that something we just found out in the last few decades?

Scientist, please correct me if I am wrong.

[OldCrone]

Does anyone know why the GRA reform consultation was put on hold? According to Whittle, it was all down to feminist campaigning.

After a campaign by some Feminists earlier this year the proposed consultation was put on hold.

He also seems to think that our main concern is about men in women's toilets:

The Feminists suggest that men will use the legislation to demand access to women’s only spaces such as changing rooms, and toilets in order to commit sexual assaults.

According to Whittle, feminists also have a great deal of influence over the provision of services at Gender Identity Clinics:

The UK has an excellent child and adolescent Gender Identity Clinic as part of a larger mental health trust ... the Feminist attacks have been sufficiently vocal to make clinicians very nervous about the provision of the service.

Is anything in that blog post actually true?